Deserve
by ProteusGrayson
Summary: After getting a job at a new diner, Jack finds Julie constantly coming in and complaining of problems with Milton. As friendship blossoms a forbidden attraction arises. Can they fight it? Or will they allow themselves the love they deserve?
1. Chapter 1

Agony Uncle. I Guess?

**A little plot bunny that just won't leave me alone. **

Part 1

He needed a job.

Life in Seaford was fun. He had school, the dojo, his friends. Things seemed great. Except for his allowance.

He wasn't ungrateful for the $100 he would get for allowance for the week. But, well, he felt spoilt.

Being the son of two extremely wealthy people (even if they were estranged) meant that Jack could have, well, just about anything he wanted, whenever he wanted (well, almost everything) and Jack didn't like that.

So, when he found out that the newly opened diner (christened Marco's) was looking for waiters. Jack jumped at the chance to earn some 'honest money' and came to the dojo the next day pretty proud of himself,

_"Someone's in good mood." Eddie said as Jack waltzed in,_

_"What's up bro!" Jerry said, in his usual laid back, cool boy tone, "Falafel Phil actually making good food?"_

_The 4 boys present laughed,_

_"Nah. Guess who got a job down at Marco's?" Jack went on,_

_"The new diner down town?" Milton asked as he stretched off,_

_"That's the one, $150 wages, I can keep my tips and all the milkshakes I want." Jack said with a smirk,_

_"Sa-weet!" Jerry said, holding up his fist to be bumped,_

_"That's great Jack." Milton said, the ginger boy smiling._

_"What are you doing? Get training!" Rudy called from his office window and the 4 of them jumped and went about their routine._

With his job being highly successful (money-wise) and the feeling of earning an honest pay for once in his life, Jack felt good. Settling into a routine he found comfortable, school, 1 hour of the dojo, work, home. Then on weekends, running the early dinner run and occasionally the late night hours.

(*****)

He had been working there for 5 months when it happened. Late Saturday night, the diner frequented a man who stared at the counter staring into a half empty glass of milkshake and a group of elderly men in a corner booth eating nacho's whilst playing cards.

Jack found himself doing his Physic's homework. The time was 9:30 and it was pouring it down with rain. The already dark night sky full of dark, angry clouds, assaulting the world with liquid misery.

Anyway, Jack was completing the task when the bell above the door tinkled and someone dragged their way in out of the rain.

Jack straightened his red and white apron and his black pants before looking to the door to see a slightly wet and bedraggled girl heave herself in. Pulling the hood of her pink hoodie down and straightening her damp brown ponytail and glasses. She walked up to the counter and Jack closed his book and looked up at the clock. His shift ended in half an hour.

"Can I help you?" Jack asked the girl before he registered her face, "Julie?"

She seemed to have more trouble recognising him as her brown eyes were crinkled (adoreably in the back of Jack's mind) in concentration,

"Jack?" She asked cautiously and Jack shot her a grin the Julie saw as encouragement and she grinned back, "Wow, fancy seeing you here."

"Hmm. What would you like?"

"Just a hot chocolate please." She said half cheerfully, half melancholy.

"What's up?" Jack asked, beggining the process of making a hot chocolate.

"Nothing." She said, twirling her hair arounf her fingers and staring off into space,

"Then what brings you down here at this time of night?"

She didn't reply, she simply placed the money for her drink on the counter as the kettle signified the waters boiling. So he made her hot drink and gave it to her and she smiled whilst blowing on the hot drink,

"Thanks." She said, smiling up at Jack who smiled back,

"No problem."

"Are you doing your homework?" Julie asked incredulously as she spotted the sheet,

"Erm… Yeah?"

And so conversation began. Starting with light hearted comments about Jack's homewotk environment before they began to talk about school and other general and neutral topics. Their conversation interupted by the elderly gentlemen, finishing their dish and asking for the bill, and a rather noisy and disfunctional family out for a late meal.

They talked and talked their way through Julie's third hot chocolate and a half hour after Jack's shift. Causing him to curse as he only had ten minutes to get home before his curfew and Julie to sigh as her uncle wanted her home.

"See you around then?" Jack asked as he slipped into his coat and held the door open to the young lady he had been spending his time with.

"Yeah. I'd like that." She smiled before the two shared a round of goodbye's and braved the fearsome onslaught of rain…

**Tell me what you think.**


	2. Chapter 2

**I don't see why there aren't more Julie and Jack fanfics. Seriously?!**

Part 2:

The door to the Marco's diner slammed open and Julie stomped in. Slumping at a table, her head bowed.

Julie had been a recurring customer for a few weeks and she mostly turned up to talk to Jack. They would talk when he whether he was on or off his shift, they were becoming good friends,

"Hey Julie. What's up?" Jack asked, slipping over. His notepad and pen out from pure practice,

"I don't feel like talking." She murmured, her head in her folded arms,

"Not even over a milkshake?" Jack asked playfully, making Julie look up, a small smile on her face from her tone, "I'll buy?"

She grinned a perfect little grin that showed her pearly white teeth.

"I'd like that." She said,

"My shift pretty much ends in 50 seconds. I'll set up that family over there and be right with you." He said, pointing to a mother, father and an incredibly ratty little boy that was screaming his head off,

"Good luck." She snorted and the pair laughed as he jogged off to get their orders.

A few minutes later, Jack slipped onto a seat opposite her and slid her a strawberry milkshake and a plate of curly fries.

"It's on me." He assured her when she protested and reached for her purse. Making her sigh and shake her head,

"My favourites. How did you know?" Julie asked, nibbling on one of the fries in a very lady-like fashion.

"I paid attention." Jack smirked before becoming serious, "So what's up?"

After a heavy sigh and a long sip from her milkshake she shot into it,

"Me and Milton were supposed to see a movie together tonight but her brushed me off for his friends in the debate team." She said quickly, straightening her glasses and fiddling with the pink scrunchy holding her mousy brown hair in ponytail, "And today was the last time I could go out with him before his trip."

Sighing with her, Jack rolled his eyes. This wasn't the first time that Milton had brushed off Julie. She had been in countless times after failed date attempts with her boy genius boyfriend and piled her problems on Jack who was happy to hear them.

Milton was headed on a three week visit to Brussels on a politics course and he left the next evening.

"It'll be okay. Milton's crazy for you." Jack tried to assure her. Unconsciously, his hand reaching across the table and stroking the back hers, "If you tell him that you want to spend more time with him he'll do it in a heartbeat."

Comforted by the gesture and his words Julie smiled. A warm, tingling sensation occurring at Jack's touch making her smile widen.

"So what was the movie?" Jack asked, sneaking a curly fry,

"Hey! Hands off mister!" She said playfully, dragging away the plate, "My fries!"

"Hey! I bought them, can I not get a taste of my investment?" Jack replied, a playful smirk on his face and they spent the next five minutes in a tickle war over the curly fries that left the pair breathless with laughter,

"You…ticklish?" Julie panted as the moment ended,

"No!" Jack said quickly,

"Oh yeah?" Julie asked, smiling as her hand slowly slid across the table,

"Please don't!" He said, cowering from the arm and making her giggle. Her hands flying to her mouth at the unfamiliar sound, "What's the matter?"

Seeing Jack's sudden flash of concern Julie shook her head,

"Sorry, I've only ever done… that, around Milton." She said, removing her hands with her eyebrows crinkled,

"Well, that was pretty adorable." Jack shrugged and then both of them blushed. Both trying to act nonchalant,

"Erm, yeah. It was J.J. Abrams' new film." She said, searching through her purse for something. Merely an act to hide the blush on her cheeks,

"Startrek?"

"That's the one!" She said,

"Wow, that's a film Milton would have loved to see."

"I wanted to see it too." She said sourly, sitting up when she thought the red on her cheeks was under control,

"Well, let's go!" Jack said, shooting up out of his seat.

"What?!"

"I'll go and get my coat. You finish your milkshake and we'll go."

"Where?"

"The movie! Come on Julie, you're meant to be the smartest girl in school!" Jack scolded playfully,

"But-"

"No buts, you want to go. So we're going. End of discussion." Jack said, making Julie smile and blush all over again, "I'll be right back."

When Jack slipped into the coat room, he let a huge breath tumble out of his mouth that he didn't realise he had been holding all this time.

"Well, well. What has Jack got himself into?" The heavy Spanish accent of Raphael (the man on shift with Jack) came from behind him, the man sat on a bench with a glass of (well) something green.

"Nothing Raph." Jack sighed, he liked Raphael. He was tall, jet black hair, a bushy moustache and piercing green (cat) eyes that seemed to look straight through you. The thing that irritated Jack (if you could say irritated) is that you couldn't get ANYTHING past him.

"Vhat is her name?" He asked and Jack rolled his eyes,

"Julie, but-"

"Ve arr just friends. Right…" The man smirked,

"Well we are!" Jack said, trying to convince the man, as he slipped his coat off of his peg,

"Is zat likely to change?" Raphael asked, his green eyes glinting, "She has been in here countless times. ALL to see you, my friend."

"We're not together." Jack said, "She's my friends, girlfriend!"

"Ooh you sly dog!" Raphael gasped in mock shock and laughed heartily, his chest heaving, "Ah, a fight for the woman that matters."

"Whatever you say Raph." Jack sighed and put his coat on, confirming his wallet and keys were there, "See ya!"

"Good look, _mes amigo_" Raphael called as Jack slipped out and saw Julie waiting expectantly by the door. Jack believed he imagined the blush that lit her cheeks and how she lit up when she saw him.

'She's beautiful' a voice in the back of his head sighed and Jack raised an eyebrow. Shaking his head he got to Julie,

"Shall we?" He smirked, extending his arm towards the giggling girl,

"Yeah, let's." She giggled again. All thoughts of her boyfriend left at the doors of the diner as she walked with the handsome brown haired boy who promised her a good time…

**Comments?**


	3. Chapter 3

**No. This is NOT a Kick story. Sorry.**

Part 3:

Something was up with Jack. That was what Eddie and Jerry came up with that day at school.

It wasn't because he was so eager to go to work, it wasn't because he seemed to be spending time with a friend that wasn't part of their 'exclusive' group, it wasn't even because of the rumours that Jack was seeing somebodies girlfriend behind the guys back, it was what he did that morning.

Jack was walking up the hall, his bag hanging off one arm and his skateboard tucked under another. He smiled and gave a nod to Eddie and Jerry, who were attempting to chat up some girls, and shook his head at their wild antics.

Then Kim came off the stairs and spotted him, standing still she waved and called,

"Hi Jack!"

Looking over and grinning, Jack replied,

"Hi Kim!"

Then with a wave, Jack continued down the hall without a backwards glance.

Eddie and Jerry went through countless scenarios, from zombies to mind control and, although they ALL seemed PRETTY plausible, it just didn't seem to fit Jack's behaviour. They decided to go and talk to him to see his sudden lapse of behaviour around Kim. To them, Jack's obssession over their blonde friend was one of Jack's only consistent emotions.

Something was wrong with her. That was what Kim thought as she watched Jack walk away.

Acting utterly casual, Kim slipped into the bathroom. She checked her hair, her face (even going as far to check her breath) and found nothing she considered wrong.

Like many of the others, Kim had heard the lucid rumours of Jack stealing another guys girlfriend but she knew Jack. Jack wouldn't do that.

But in that spit second, a brief second between her checking herself to see what may make her unattractive to Jack, she considered that, maybe, Jack may have been doing it. Or was interested in a girl that wasn't her.

Shaking her head and claiming she was over-reacting and that maybe Jack had homework to hand in or something, Kim went to leave.

"Hey Kim!" Julie said, walking into the bathroom in blue jeans and a blue button up blouse.

"Hi Julie." Kim said, smiling at one of her few female friends in school. "You okay?"

"Yeah." She said, slipping over to a mirror and checking her hair, detecting the hint of concern in her friends voice, "Why wouldn't I be?"

"You know." Kim said, "Milton's gone."

"You make it sound like he's died." Julie smirked and the pair laughed.

"Sorry. It's just you two are so close." Kim said and scratched the back of her neck as she spoke, "I kinda thought you'd kind of, I don't know,"

"Cease to exist? Go into mourning? Shrivel up and die? Go into a corner with my knees up to my chest and rock back and forth to count the days my beloved will return?" Julie suggested and smirked at Kim's dumbfounded expression, "I'm being sarcastic."

Kim childishly stuck her tongue out in response and the pair shot it back and forth before the bell for first class.

"I'll miss him." Julie said, "But my life doesn't revolve around Milton."

"Oh really?" Kim smirked,

"Yep. Besides. Between you and me." Julie said, lowering her voice forcing Kim to lean in (forcing Kim to miss who was walking up the hallway) "I have other things on my mind these day other than my boyfriend."

With that statement (that lay highly open to interpretation) Julie slipped through the crowd and to Jack's side,

"Hey, Chemistry?" She said cheerfully as she smiled up at the brown haired boy,

"How do I answer that question?" He smirked and the pair headed off to there lesson.

Later, in the dojo, Jerry and Eddie had filled in Rudy and now all shared the same 'concern' with the star of the dojo.

"Look. We have to calm." Eddie said,

"Yeah, this is probably an even more sensitive subject than asking him if he has feelings for her." Rudy said and the trio nodded just as the bell (above the door) signalled Jack's arrival,

"Hey guys!" He said, walking over to his locker,

"So Jack." Jerry said, his hands stuffed in his back pockets as he advanced, oblivious to Rudy and Eddie's indiscreet gestures for him to stop, "What's with you and Kim?"

With face palms Rudy and Eddie slowly left Jerry to say it alone,

"What do you mean?" Jack asked, his hand hovering over the lock for his locker,

"Well, me and Eddie noticed you ignore Kim when she gave you 'the look' at school this morning." Jerry continued, more discreet hand gestures that Jerry ignored.

Jack turned to Eddie who looked rather sheepish, whilst Rudy examined a stain on the mats.

"Eddie?" Jack said cautiously,

"Erm, that's me?" Eddie said, shrinking away.

Ready to pry every bit of information out of them, they were saved by Jack's phone.

"Hello?" He said, answering the device and silencing it's ringing. A sour look on his face that changed to that of joy. "Oh Hey!"

The three males seemed taken aback. Then they immediately said their thoughts aloud,

"Kim." They said, nodding together,

"Hey guys!" Kim said as she walked in. No phone in sight as Jack listened to the person on the other end,

"I'd love to!" He said. Smiling a smile they hadn't seen on him ever. "What about your uncle?"

After a lengthy pause where Jack seemed to nod along with whatever the person said, Jack spoke again,

"Yeah, I'm pulling a late shift so I've got a few hours until I have to be down at the diner."

There was more chatter from the other side of the phone and the 4 of them tried to stay silent in hope of hearing the words,

"Really?" Jack asked incredulously, peering out at something beyond the floor to ceiling windows of the front of the dojo, "Oh yeah! I see you. Hey!"

He waved at something or someone and his grin widened,

"I'll be right over." He said and hung up, replacing his phone into his pocket and grinned wildly, "Sorry, gotta skip practice. See ya!"

Then, without a backwards he was sprinting out of the doors and across the mall.

"Where is he going?" Kim asked,

"Let's have a look." Rudy asked,

'Inconspiciously' they all crowded around the window in time to see Jack slip into a hug with someone at the doors of Falafel Phil's, before walking away side by side with the mysterious person.

"Who the heck is that?!" Kim hissed, her tone demanding an explanation,

"Let's find out." Jerry said and he slipped out of the dojo and went the way Jack did, beforethe others followed suit.


	4. Chapter 4

Part 4:

It was something that he really felt like doing. Holding her hand.

Jack walked beside Julie. Heading to Seafords Movie Theatre, her hand wafting by her side as she walked. Almost begging for him to hold. It was sort of weird.

He'd heard in dates that you should hold a girls hand and he'd done it before with plenty of girls (even Kim) without it being THIS awkward.

_'It's because it isn't a date idiot!_' He screamed to himself within his head, _'That's Julie! Milton's girlfriend! OFF. LIMITS.'_

His mind was using that as a mantra, but no matter how much he told himself that, he wouldn't believe it.

She had been complaining for weeks about how Milton brushed her off, how he wouldn't go anywhere with her (because he was too busy) and how the fire, the passion (and the love) in their relationship seemed to be dimming. But did this give him an excuse to be out with his girl? No. But here he was, going to a movie.

_'It's just two friends going out. Nothing more._' He told himself again, _'Right?'_

Julie was having a similar inner battle. She had felt guilty at going out with another guy that wasn't Milton. Sure, she wasn't exactly dating him but (and she refused to say it aloud) she wouldn't mind if she was.

He was kind, smart and handsome. He always listened to her problems and he was really fun to be around. Which made her feel even more conflicted. Every joke making her giggle, every accidental brush of skin making her blush and a million of one possibilities rushing through her teenage brain.

So when they slowly gripped the others hand, stiffening at the touch of the other but not daring to pull away, their minds exploded.

Following the pair, Jerry, Eddie, Rudy and Kim tried to acertain who the girl was. The brunette and Jack hadn't exchaged any words for a while, but when they held hands (much to Kim's rage) conversation ensued amd the awkwardness that they could see in the pair evaporated.

They lost them after a while, Eddie tripping and chrashing into a dumpster. After helping him up the 'happy couple' were gone.

The 'happy couple' slipped into the movie theatre with their tickets and had an argument,

"You got the tickets!" Julie whined,

"Your point?" Jack replied as they both made their was to the the confectionary stands,

"This isn't a date Jack, you don't have to be a gentleman." Julie said, although she began to doubt the words as they passed her lips,

"Well, it's too bad that I'm one by nature." Jack smirked and Julie playfully punched his arm,

"Oww!" Jack said genuinely and rubbing his arm,

"I'll get the popcorn. Deal?" Julie growled and Jack nodded, "Great! Let's go!"

Smiling at her sudden change from menacing to delighted, Jack allowed himself to be dragged along by the adorable spectacled girl.

Outside, Kim, Eddie, Rudy and Jerry rushed to the ticket clerk,

"Has a guy and a girl with brown hair come in here?"

"Who wants to know?" The man asked cautiously.

Jerry rooted around in his pockets and produced a ten dollar bill and went to slipit through the the gap, before Eddie hit in the back of the head.

"We're his friends and we want to know who Jack's with." Kim said firmly, still slightly miffed at the hand holding,

"Please, if you have seen them…" Rudy stepped in, "He ran out of his class and we want to make sure he's okay."

Now, not three weeks ago, a similar group of teens and a man came in searching for a young boy and the man had let them in. The boy was now dead. As much as he hated to judge people he didn't want to have anything else on his conciounsce.

"You're his friends?" The man asked, casting an eye over the men in karate gi's and the blonde girl in jeans and a t-shirt.

"His best friends." The small chubby black kid said,

"Well." He said, smirking in his mind, "If you can guess what film he's in you can go and see it and make sure he's okay."

Eddie and Jerry cursed at that,

"If only Milton was here. Him and Jack go to the movies all the time." Eddie said whilst Rudy and Kim looked over posters,

"4 tickets to Titanic 3D please." Jerry said, sliding the money through the gap,

"Jerry!" The others called,

"Here me out. Every brunette in school has been talking about this film and Jack's the ultimate gentleman. This is the film." Jerry said, "Besides, it's on me."

Smiling, Jerry took the tickets and they all trudged in. The clerk smirking as he looked over to the poster for 'Insidious 2',

"Wrong."

Electric is how Jack and Julie described as they sat beside one another in the dark theatre. The horror flick making others scream whilst they couldn't care less about the sights and sounds around them.

They had the other on their minds.

Craving the slightest brush of their fingertips, the sound and feel of their breath, they were on fire. A thousand and one possibilities lighting a super nova in there minds. Destroying all guilty thoughts as they enjoyed one anothers company.

Meanwhile, Jerry and Rudt were teary eyed as they watched the movie. Sobbing uncontrollably and uttering statements like, "so beautiful." and, well, shouting at the screen in general.

Kim and Eddie on the other hand werw searching for 1 and a half hours for Jack and his mystery girlfriend as the film went on. Unaware until the lights turned on and the film was over that Jack wasn't there.

"Crap! Curfew!" Eddie gasped and exited the theatre at a fast pace. But collapsing of exhaustion at the end of the street as the others exited the theatre in a throng of people.

Being teary eyed still, Rudy and Jerry missed them, but Kim rushed off after the rapidly retreating brunettes she knew to be Jack and, who ever. Rushing after them, there heads bobbing in and out of view behind couples and groups until they were gone and Kim was chasing phantoms. The two of them long gone.

Or, hiding in a tight alleyway as Kim ran past, pressed chest to chest. Julie's hair coming out of it's pony tail and her glasses askew. The moonlight and the close proximity making them see each other in an all new light,

"That was close." Julie said, pulling her hand up to fix her glasses but it trailing up his torso as to their closeness making an (almost) seductive growl rumble in his chest that made her gasp and yet more illicit and wrong fantasies bounce through her head.

This was so wrong. She was Milton Krupnick's girlfriend and here she was, her body pressed into his bestfriend and most popular guy in town. Who she just happened to have been on a date with (she decided not to deny it to herself. It was a date.). This was just against every moral she stood by.

This was just as bad for Jack. Her hand slowly slinking up his body and fixing her glasses hadn't exactly been harmful. But she was Milton's girlfriend. The guy in the group he was probably closest to. Just being there, pressed against her, his mind and heart running a thousand times faster than usual. It just felt like a betrayal.

But neither of them could help themselves.

Running a hand up the back of her neck (raising gasps and goosebumps) Jack pulled the bobble from her already ruined ponytail. Allowing her long, soft brown hair to fall like a curtain, her hair and skin almost glowing in the moonlight.

"Jack." She said breathlessly, her eyes fluttering closed and her head leaning up,

"Julie." Jack replied, he closed his eyes and guided his lips forward, awaiting the perfect moment when they would touch Julie's.

Then realisation hit him like a train, Julie. Milton's girlfriend!

"Miton." He gasped and Julie opened her eyes, her dissapointment suddenly being replaced by horror at the situation,

"Milton!"


End file.
